Previously, many types of valves have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means for producing the pulsating effect for submersible pool cleaners using the suction of a pool pump for interruptingly drawing water and debris from a swimming pool. Many different valves have been used in the past to create the desired pulsating action including, not only reed valves, but flappers, flexible diaphragms, flexible jaws, bellows, ball valves and elastomeric jaws.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,023,227 Chauvier May 17, 1977 4,351,077 Hofmann Sep. 28, 1982 4,769,867 Stoltz Sep. 13, 1988 4,807,318 Kallenbach Feb. 28, 1989 4,817,225 Stoltz Apr. 4, 1989 5,033,148 Chauvier et al Jul. 23, 1991 5,265,297 Gould et al Nov. 30, 1993 5,337,433 Gould et al Aug. 16, 1994 5,384,928 Khoury Jan. 31, 1995 5,440,645 Atkins Sep. 19, 1995 5,604,950 Stern Feb. 25, 1997 5,634,229 Stolz Jun. 3, 1997 5,655,246 Chang Aug. 12, 1997 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,023,227, 4,351,077, and 5,033,148 disclose a flapper valve that is pivotally displaced to automatically transfer flow from one passage to another. In some cases a bypass valve is required to regulate the suction pressure applied to the apparatus and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,148 an auxiliary inlet is utilized to accommodate the volume of fluid flow through the pool pump.
A flexible diaphragm valve is utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,645, issued to Atkins, which consists of a resilient tube that is reduced in area in the middle, with ribs for controlling it's flexibility. The diaphragm is closed due to the negative pressure of the pump overcoming the resistance of the flexural walls pulling the walls together to impede the flow. Pressure equalization on the outside of the diaphragm permits opening, and the preferred method employed to accomplish this function is spring loading.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,769,867, 5,265,297, 5,384,928 and 5,634,229 disclose a valve having jaw-like lips of a flexible material biased in an open position by it's inherent elasticity and resiliency. The lips close under negative pressure and reopen by the material establishing it's inherent memory.
Kallenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,318 employs a spring loaded bellows-like diaphragm and a rigid unrestricted outlet passageway for flow interruption and cycling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,225 of Stoltz teaches a spherical closure member having a specific gravity slightly greater than the liquid causes interruption by moving freely toward and away from the valve seat.
Gould et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,433, teach a valve having an entrance mouth with one of more single acting closure lips formed of thin metal spring material. The lips are drawn into full closure by the suction of the pool pump and open when the bias is substantially less than the closing force. No bumpers, weights, nets, or floats are used to assist in balance efficiency. Partial flow of the pump is utilized in the apparatus at a specific design flow rate.
Sterns U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,950 discloses a suction cleaning device with a longitudinal throat split into discrete portions. One portion is movable relative to the others, permitting expansion to pass large foreign objects through the throat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,246 issued to Chang is my prior art upon which the improvement in the valve itself is based. Previously, the reed valve consisted of a pair of opposed deflecting reeds, each having a fixed reed and a movable reed. The fixed reed was connected to the body on one end with a stud, and the other secured to the movable reed through an elongated slot. The spring action of the combination created a double action movement flexing the reeds into a bow shape simultaneously by virtue of their combined spring action. The flow of water is impeded by the reed valve due to the shock wave or water hammer when the opposed movable reeds are drawn together at their distal ends.